Container protecting cushion and/or container



March 3-1, 1942. J W 2,278,083

CONTAINER PROTECTING CUSHION AND/ORCONTAINER I Filed May 29, 1939 /6' T1 -15. +1 50 7 f mvsu'rcsn- ATTORNEY rise/2h Lowe.

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 uNrrso srarssrnranr ()FFICE CONTAINER PROTECTING CUSHION AND/R CONTAINER.

Joseph N. Lowe, New York, N. Y. Application May 29, 1939, Serial No. 276,291

1 Claim. (01. 206-8) The present invention relates to container protecting cushions and to a hat box or the like provided with such a cushion. The cushion is desirably made for containers or boxes of large size intended to hold a considerable number of ladies hats, being more particularly designed for the use of salesmen, although the same may be made of any desirable size for containers constructed from the required materials for various purposes. Usually such containers are made large for the specific purpose stated and are somewhat roughly handled as by being bumped by or against some obstruction or by being dragged along the floor, and therefore the bottom of such container is provided with a protecting cushion around it, usually of rubber or the like.

With a view to more particularly overcoming such as the said defects, the principal object of the invention is to provide a container protect ing cushion, comprising a protecting strip of cushioning material and a strip of flexible ma-' terial secured along the protecting strip, the corresponding surfaces of said strips adapted to be firmly engaged on the outer surface of a container, the said cushion preferably being in the form of a continuous ring or encircling member for the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide the strip of flexible material with means for separately and firmly tightening said strip around the wall of the container to supplement the holding action of the encircling member or ring, pref.- erably elastic.

A still further object of the invention is to comblue with a container a continuous protecting ring of elastic cushioning material snugly fitted upon and around the encircling wall of the container, said wall having protruding retaining means engaging in the ring, and the ring provided with tightening means for separately and firmly securing the ring around the wall.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the protecting cushion as supplied for use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a container or box provided with the protecting cushion;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the container;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view of broken away portions of the container and protecting cushion, showing how the cushion is adapted to be finally secured in position;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of broken away parts showing the condition when the cushion is finally applied to the container;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 4, viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a broken detail view looking towards the outer surface of the protecting cushion, partly in section;

Fig. 8 is a section through Fig. '7

Fig. 9 is a section showing the position of the members of the cushion when stitching them together; and

Fig. 10 is a section on the line lO-lfl, Fig. 8, somewhat reduced in scale.

The improved cushion is preferably for any relatively large container which is liable to shock and injury, and especially to take any wear and shock at the edges of the container, although in its broad aspect the cushion may be used at any desired points on the outside of the surrounding wall of a container. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 6, the container or box H] is preferably cylindrical and may be constructed with any desirable outer and inner finishing materials over a stiff cardboard interior, as usual.

The cover ll of the container may be composed of any desired flexible material having a part l2 which is fixed to the upper portion of the container, around the mouth fora short distance, to provide a flexible connection so that the cover proper may be opened up or closed. The container may also be provided with any desirable securing means for holding it closed, such, for example, as hookless fastenings I3, and also preferably has a handle 14 for carrying it.

The head IE or some such protruding means extends around the bottom of the container, more particularly as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. .In- Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 8 there is shown a flexible cushioning strip [6 preferably of rubber which is provided with an edge flange ll, coterminous with the cushioning strip, and integral therewith.

Fig. 8 discloses a recess or groove I8 in the cushioning strip, to which latter there is secured a longitudinally folded strip 19 of leather or other suitable flexible materiaL'as shown in Figs. 4, 6,

'7 and 8. Within the fold or pocket formed by Referring to Fig. 8 the integral cushion l6 and flange l1 are preferably manufactured so that the flange l1 extends parallel with the cushion l6, and they may be flattened out into the position for sewing, as shown in Fig. 9, for making the stitch 22 which connects the folded strip 19 with the cushion l6. Inasmuch as the cushion l6 and its flange I! are elastic they may be stretched longitudinally, which is taken advantage of when making the line of stitching 22. Therefore in sewing as shown in Fig. 9, it is preferred that the attendant of the sewing machine impart a suflicient longitudinal pull upon the cushion and its flange so as to stretch them somewhat relatively to the folded strip l9, and when the sewing of the stitching 22 is completed, the pull is relinquished. The result is that when the cushion l6 and its flange I! again assumes its original unstretched condition, the strip I9 is gathered up somewhat at 23, as shown in Fig. 10, the flange I? then folding up towards the cushion I6 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Ultimately the stitched together members are preferably made as a continuous encircling ring 24, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for which purpose the ends of the cushioning strip I6 and I? may be vulcanized together at the joint 25. Such ring will therefore be composed of the elastic cushioning strip i6 and its flange ll, which latter is folded up towards the cushion I6, and the strip l9 which protrudes from the cushion I6 in the nature of a fillet, containing the cord 20.

When the cushioning ring 241 is completed, the size thereof is preferably somewhat less than the distance around the container, and has to be stretched in order to apply it to the container.

To apply the protecting cushion 24 to the bottom surrounding corner of the container it is necessary that the ring 24 be stretched upon the lower end of the container, with the bead l thereof engaged in the groove 18 of the ring and that the flange ll be pressed back from the position of set shown in Fig. 8 to the position shown in Fig. 6 so as to enlarge said groove and engage with the bottom wall of the container. The ring 24 will thus be held firmly upon the bottom of the container by reason of the elasticity of the cushioning strip I6 and its flange l1, and the flexible strip l9 will be pressed in and fill the space above the bead l5, and will be crowded at its lower edge more or less firmly against said bead. At the same time the gatherings 23 in the flexible strip l9 are more or less effaced, they allowing the cushion l6 and its flange to be stretched. Therefore, the protecting cushion 24 will be in snug engagement with the bottom of the container and with the lower end of the surrounding wall thereof.

While the cushioning ring 24 is in such manner held quite securely upon the container, it is desirable that the additional securing means provided by the flexible strip l9 and cord 20 be resorted to, because it is possible that in some way the ring may be accidently disengaged from the container. Referring to Fig. 4, the arrows opposite the ends of the cord '28 indicate that the said ends are strongly pulled in the direction shown by said arrows, whereupon a knot 26 or other connection may be formed to tightly secure together the ends of said cord. Thereby the strip I9 is secured firmly and tightly around the container, thereby supplementing the securing action of the cushion l6 and its flange.

The bottom of the container is preferably provided with rigid studs 21 as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, to provide feet by which the container may be supported on the floor, and preferably the flange I? of the protecting ring is of such thickness that it will not come in contact with the floor.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible of more or less modification without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new is:

The combination with a container, of a continuous protecting ring therefor of elastic cushioning material stretched snugly upon and around the encircling wall of the container and having an annular groove in its inner face, said wall having protruding retaining means engaging in the groove, a strip of less stretchable material than the ring and carried above said groove by the inner face of the ring, and means for separately and firmly tightening the strip around said wall to supplement the holding action of said protruding means and the ring.

JOSEPH N. LOWE. 

